Soprano Emalie Savoy, a native of Schenectady, has made a important fan in Anthony Tommasini, the influential chief critic of the New York Times. Last week he wrote a review of Savoy’s recent performance at the Morgan Library, calling her “gifted, fast-rising” and “remarkable.” Savoy was appearing in a duo recital with tenor Anthony Dean Griffey, sponsored by the George London Foundation. Tommasini referenced Savoy’s two stage roles of last season, as Fiordiligi in Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte” and as the lead in Gluck’s “Armide.” Savoy offered an excerpt of the latter opera in her recital and here’s how Tomassini responded: “That Ms. Savoy has the right combination of vocal allure, majesty and passion for this role she showed again on Sunday in her account of Armide’s intense final scene.” Read the whole review at: “Youth and Experience in Harmony.”

Meanwhile, this coming weekend local composer Evan Mack is going to be competing in “The 24-Hour Opera Project,” a kind of “Project Runway” for the opera world, sponsored by the Atlanta Opera. There will be five teams, each consisting of a composer, librettist, stage director, four singers and an accompanist who are randomly assigned to each other. They’re only given one day – starting at 6 p.m. Friday – to create and stage an original opera of 7 to 10 minutes in duration. Evan and his librettist will have 14 hours before they have to turn over their work to the performing side of the team. The public can view the results online and vote for the winner. Tune in at 7 p.m. Saturday January 26 at http://new.livestream.com/accounts/1022514/events/1602627 and cast your vote!

UPDATE: Evan Mack won audience favorite in “The 24-Hour Opera Project” for his opera, titled “Beach and Moan,” after he was paired randomly with a librettist, given two random props to incorporate into an opera with the theme of “convincing confession.”